


Thank You

by ThatWheelchairChick



Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: F/M, Letters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:28:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29802237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatWheelchairChick/pseuds/ThatWheelchairChick
Summary: Two weeks before Rory's first book is due to be published, her publisher gives her some free copies to give out to those important to her. After a chat with Lorelai, she decides to send her leftover ones to thank the people who got her to where she is now. She couldn't have predicted what happens next. Literati.
Relationships: Rory Gilmore/Jess Mariano
Comments: 6
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> When I started writing this story, it was inspired by the song 'Where Are You Now' by Honor Society, and then it spiralled into a Literati fic inspired by 'the 1' by Taylor Swift. Personally, I've just run with it; it's a 6 chapter fic, 14k words, and I am mostly happy with it. There is no Literati until chapter 3 though, so maybe wait a couple of days if you're here for that. The majority of this story takes place 5 years after the finale and completely pretends that the revival didn't happen (although the last chapter is a little inspired by it), and I'm also pretending that Rory and Jess didn't kiss in season 6, just to let you know. Other than that, let's get on with it.

I unlocked the front door and walked in. I dropped my bag on the couch and walked through to the kitchen, "Hey Mom."

She furrowed her brow at me, "You're not supposed to be here."

"Thanks," I said sarcastically, stealing her mug and draining the contents, "What a way to greet your favourite daughter."

"You know what I meant," She said with a laugh, "But you're not supposed to be here today, which means you need something."

I sighed, "So, as you know, my book is being released in two weeks and obviously, a bunch of reviewers have read it and etcetera, but no one close to me has had the opportunity. On Friday, I'm being given 12 books to give out to people important to me."

"I finally get to read it?" She asked, her eyes lighting up.

I laughed, "You get the first one."

She was up and out of her chair immediately, wrapping her arms around me in a big hug, squealing like a schoolgirl with excitement. I hugged her back, and when she let go, I dropped down into the chair, "So, the first 4 go to you, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, as they get one each. I then want to give one to Luke because he's always been there and he deserves one, and he's my stepfather so he's family, but after that, I'm unsure. And don't tell any of them; I want it to be a surprise."

She poured us both a cup of coffee without saying a word, and didn't speak until she was sat down, "I think they should go to people who got you to where you are, like to a teacher who really inspired you or a friend who helped you when you were having problems with writing it."

The first idea made me a little uneasy, knowing exactly what teacher that would be. But she was right; Paris definitely deserved a book. Then Lane because although we weren't as close as we were when we were little, she was still one of my best friends.

Then names started flooding my mind, people who genuinely influenced my life and career. My list formed itself with very little thoughts – I just needed to figure out how to do what I needed to do. However, being a journalist had its perks.

* * *

The next day, I sat down to write. I had a list of people and addresses that I was going to write a letter to, and I was starting with the hardest one first.

I started with his name, and then I paused, unsure of how to proceed. I got up and poured myself a cup of coffee, thinking. I set the mug down and wrote a line, and then scratched it out. I then pulled my laptop towards me, deciding to type it out as a draft and then handwriting it when it's actually ready to send. I typed out another line, making my identity and intention clear.

I smiled, happy with what I had written, and then I got into the mindset and started typing. 20 minutes later, it was written and I was happy with it. I had kept it simple, not wanting to make it too awkward or difficult. I picked up my pen, grabbed a fresh piece of paper, ready to start writing it up.

_Mr Medina,_

_Rory Gilmore here – it seems very strange to be writing this letter but here I am. I'm not writing this letter as your ex-fiancé's daughter, but as your ex-student._

_As you can see from the attached book, I'm a published author... almost. It's coming out in a few weeks, and my publisher gave me 12 free copies to give to whoever I liked. Obviously, family came first, but then I had 7 books left, so I decided to send them to people who got me to where I am today._

_When I started at Chilton, I was basically drowning, and you gave me lots of chances and opportunities to prove myself. I was never sure why you did that, but you did it, and I don't think I would have made it through without that help, which also means I probably wouldn't have made it into Yale, and obviously, I wouldn't be here, today. I may have been determined, but determination isn't enough. So, thank you._

_I hope you enjoy my book._

_Sincerely, Rory Gilmore._

I sighed as I put the pen down. It went onto the paper perfectly and I quickly put it in an envelope. I would put all the letters in the parcel with the book, but the envelope was to keep it safe until I got the books tomorrow. I also wrote his name on the envelope so I didn't send the wrong letter.

One letter down, four to go.

* * *

After getting another coffee and standing outside on the balcony for 10 minutes, I sat back down to write another letter. This one was going to be easy, but I started on the laptop anyway, not wanting to waste paper. I typed very quickly, keeping it simple. I was in regular contact with her so I knew this wouldn't be as awkward as the rest of the letters.

I sat back in my chair, tapping my fingers against the table as I read over what I had written. I then smiled, tapping out the last few lines, knowing it was perfect for Paris. She hated touchy-feely stuff so I knew the letter would be testing her limits, but she'd also love it. I then got a pen and started copying it out.

_Paris,_

_I feel stupid doing this in a letter but I don't have the time to do this in person._

_Obviously, you know I have a book coming out, and as you can see, I've sent you a free copy. I had 12 to give, and after family, I decided that the books deserved to go to people who got me where I am today._

_We weren't always friends, but you always pushed me to be better, and I appreciate you for that. You helped me to get through Chilton and you pushed me to get through Yale in once piece, and I am very grateful for that. I am also grateful that you listened to me when I struggled with writing this book because I know I was a bit insufferable with it all._

_Thank you for pushing me to be better and thank you for being my friend._

_Love,  
Rory._

* * *

I was dreading the next three letters – I was writing to all three of my major boyfriends, knowing they deserved a thank you, too. I was going to send Dean's to his parents as he visits regularly, I obviously had Jess' address since we had remained friends and often sent each other books, and I was able to track down where Logan was working so I was sending the package there.

I started with Dean's letter since I knew it would be the easiest and he was the first. I was going to do all three of them at once as I knew I would be fine once I got started and stopping for a coffee would be a bad idea. It was also hopefully the last three letters – I could give the rest in person and there was only one person who I had much to say to. However, there was still time for me to chicken out of _that_ particular conversation.

Once I was happy with Dean's letter, I grabbed my pen and started writing it out.

_Dean,_

_Where do I start?_

_Obviously, you've seen the book that this letter is attached to. It's not quite published, so you have an early copy. I know you're not as much of a reader as I am, but I hope you'll like it._

_Now, on to why you're getting an early edition. You were my first love in so many ways and you were the best boyfriend I've ever had. You loved me with everything you had to give, you kept me safe, you treated me well, and without that relationship, I don't think I would be the same person I am today and therefore; this book wouldn't be about to hit the shelves._

_While I do wish it had worked out in a very small way, I am happy with my life as it is. I hope you're happy, too._

_Rory Gilmore._

After that, I started writing Jess'. I knew that he'd be incredibly proud of me and I could just see him being so excited for me. I had presumed he didn't know since he would have mentioned it in our last phone call and I had begged Luke to keep it a secret, and I was almost disappointed that I wouldn't see his face when he saw what was in the package.

His letter practically wrote itself, and I was quickly transferring it to paper. It contained all the things that I had never said to him, despite the fact that we were now friends.

_Jess,_

_When you showed me your first book, I was so proud of you because I knew you could do it if you'd just apply yourself. Well, this time, it's your turn to be proud of me because here is an early edition of my first book, which officially comes out on the 20th._

_But I'm not writing to brag. I'm writing to say thank you. You may not have been a great boyfriend at the time we were together, and it killed me when you ran, but I needed that relationship to grow and develop, even if it was just to teach me what I didn't need in a guy. Even when you showed up and asked me to run away with me, it showed me what I didn't need._

_Do you know what you also did? You got me to go back to Yale when I dropped out, because you knew I was being stupid (and it showed me that you had matured). You knew Yale was where I belonged, so thank you for giving me the kick that I needed to go back to school and to fix my relationship with my mom, because I never did thank you. I probably would have gone back eventually, but I needed that. And I probably owe you big time for that._

_If you hadn't done that, this book wouldn't exist. So, thank you for everything._

_Rory._

Logan was last. However, before I could start typing, my mobile rang. I picked it up, "Hello?"

"Rory!" My grandmother's cheerful voice came through the phone, "Will you be at dinner on Friday?"

"Yes," I said, "But I need to go and see Dad so I might be late. 3-hour drive and all that."

"It wouldn't be so much of a drive if you'd move to Hartford or Stars Hollow. You're there half the time, anyway," She said and I rolled my eyes.

She was right but my job was in New York and I needed to be there at least 3 days a week, "Mom keeps saying the same thing, but I have my dream job, I'm living in my dream apartment and I'm happy here. And anyway, it's only an hour and a half drive to you. It just takes double that to get to Dad's."

"Wait, why are you visiting your father? Is something wrong?" She asked.

"You'll find out when I come to dinner on Friday, but this is good. I'll call you with an update before I leave Boston but I should be there by 7," I told her, not wanting to ruin the surprise. The only person who knew they were getting a book was Mom.

"Okay," She relented, "I'll let you get back to work."

I put the phone down and sighed. I had just lied to my grandmother about being happy where I was. I loved my job, but it wasn't my dream anymore. I wanted to be close to the family, I wanted to settle down, I wanted to maybe switch to being a columnist and I just wasn't as happy as I was 2 years ago when I finally landed this job. But, until my book was released, I wasn't going to worry about it. I was just going to focus on that.

I turned back to my laptop and started typing with renewed focus, the break doing me good. Logan's letter was short and to the point, not wanting to drag it out and make things worse. I then picked up the pen and wrote it out properly.

_Logan,_

_You might have already known this, but I have a book coming out, as evidenced by the fact this letter is attached to said book. I always thought I wanted to be a journalist but now? This book has been a dream come true, and I didn't even know it was my dream._

_Okay, I'm avoiding why I'm writing. When I met you, I was shy, reserved and needed to plan things out. I hated trying new things and I was very strict about nearly everything. You... you taught me to try new things, to embrace spontaneity and if it wasn't for you, I would never be who I am._

_Thank you for everything. And if this book turns into a bestseller, rub it in your father's face since he said I'd never make it in the writing world._

_Rory Gilmore._

I sat back in my chair and sighed; 5 letters done. There was a possible sixth to be written, depending on how much of a chicken I was going to be with one of the copies, but I had a few days before I really needed to make a decision.

* * *

I collected the books on Friday morning and took them straight home. I signed the books, slipped the letters inside of the cover and packaged the ones that needed posting. I got to the sixth book and was about to sign it when I decided I was going to be a chicken.

I got my laptop out and started typing. It was the most heartfelt letter of the lot and while I wanted to say all of these things to him in person, I didn't have the guts. And when it was perfect, I started writing it out by hand, smiling to myself about the words I was writing.

_Luke,_

_I was going to say all of this to you in person but I chickened out and decided to write a letter. I've written a lot of these letters recently so it's not a huge deal, but I thought I'd start there._

_As you can see, I've attached a copy of my book. I was given 12 to give to whoever I wanted, and after my parents and grandparents, I thought of you._

_You have been there for me my whole life. You never missed a single birthday, you were there at my high school graduation, you threw a big party when I finished college, you let me take up multiple tables at once whenever I was studying and continued allowing this when I started working remotely whenever possible, pointing out the hidden plug socket in the corner, you got excited about every published article and you were the second to ask for a signed copy when I announced that I was writing this book, with Mom being the first._

_And this isn't even half of what you've done for me. No matter what your relationship with Mom was, you were there for me. You treated me the same no matter what and I've seen for myself how protective you are over me._

_I didn't always appreciate this. For the longest time, I took it for granted, and I still do sometimes, but when my mom married Christopher and I got to see the way he acted with Gigi every day, I realised that was how he was supposed to love and treat me. But he didn't, and that was how you treated me instead... actually, you were better than that but it's what made me realise it. I don't know if you even realised it, but that was how you acted with me, so I thought that since you treated me that way, you deserved a copy before the release date. You earned it._

_Thank you for everything._

_Love, Rory._

When I finished, I signed the book, slipped the letter inside and packaged it up. Instead of writing his address, I just wrote his name and decided to drop it off when I dropped Mom's book off.

Then I finished signing the books, put them all in the car, and set off; I had a long day ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I'm an impatient person, I'm going to update this three times a week. I was going to do it every Wednesday, but I'm going to update it on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (so I update something on every weekday for two weeks). It's weird but it's the type of person I am. Anyway, please review.


	2. Chapter 2

After dropping the books off at the post office and sending them off first class, I drove the hour-and-a-half drive to Stars Hollow. I took Mom's book out of the bag, leaving the rest, and let myself into the house, "Anyone home?"

"Book, please," Mom demanded, holding her hands out like a child.

I laughed, "Did you take this morning off so you could be here when I dropped this off?"

She nodded, and then shoved her hands towards me again. I handed it over, smiling as she carefully held it in her hands, looking it over. After a few moments, she looked back up at me, tears in her eyes, "I am so proud of you."

"Open it," I told her. She furrowed her brow but did so anyway. She flicked through the first few pages, looking for something significant. I could see it in her face when she found it, tears streaming down her face as she traced over the words with her fingers.

"'Thank you, Mom; you are my guidepost,'" She quoted as she looked back at me, "You said that at your graduation."

"It needed repeating, and this way, it'll be immortalised forever," I said softly.

She put the book down and hugged me tightly, "I love you."

"I love you, too," I told her, pulling away, "I need to go; I need to give Luke, Sookie and Lane their books, and then I need to go and see Dad. Will you be at dinner tonight?"

"Yes, but I'm sorry if I read your book at the dinner table," She told me, but I knew she wouldn't be sorry, "Have they got theirs or will you give the books to them at dinner?"

"They'll get theirs at dinner," I told her, "You're the first person to get a book."

"I feel so special," She said as she walked to the sofa and dropped down, her nose already stuck in. I laughed and left, getting in the car. I drove to Luke's first, getting out of the car. Luckily, I had timed it right and it was packed in there.

"Hey," I greeted, "Can I have a coffee to go?"

He poured me a cup and rushed off to deal with a kid who had just spilt his drink. I placed the package behind the counter, double-checking to make sure he could see the warning note that said 'open me in private.' I quickly left, not wanting to be around when he read that letter.

I walked to Lane's and knocked on the door, and Steve let me in, "Hi Auntie Rory."

"Steve! I've told you not to open the door without me!" I heard Lane shout as she rushed in, "Hey Rory, what's up?"

"Are you busy? I can come back later," I offered, taking in her frazzled appearance. She shook her head.

"No, it's fine. It's a teacher training day so the boys have the day off; that's all," She said before turning to Steve, "Go and play with your brother."

Steve ran off and I pulled the book out of the gift bag in my hand, "This is for you."

She took it from me, beaming, "I thought it wasn't published for another week?"

"It isn't, you have an early copy. It's also signed," I said, and she hugged me.

"I'm so proud of you," She said.

"Thank you," I told her, "For everything. I know I'm not around as much as I'd like to be and I've been a terrible friend over the years, but thank you for sticking by me."

"You're my best friend," She said, "And you're a better friend than you think."

"If you say so," I teased, "I've got to go, but I hope you enjoy it."

I let myself out and then drove to the inn, knowing Sookie would be working. I grabbed the gift bag with Sookie's book and I found her and Michel bickering at the front desk, "Haven't you been told to do this behind closed doors?"

Sookie blushed and Michel stuttered. I laughed, "I'm teasing but you know Mom would go crazy."

"She phoned in sick this morning, is she okay?" Sookie asked.

"Of course, she did," I said with a chuckle and an eye roll, "Sookie, could I have a word in private?"

She looked confused but nodded. We walked into one of the many storage cupboards, which was the best place to have secret discussions, "Can you keep a secret?"

She nodded so I continued, handing her the gift bag, "Here is a signed copy of my book. It is not released until next week, and since there have been 600 pre-orders from Stars Hollow alone, you might want to keep this to yourself."

"600?" She repeated, the shock on her face. I nodded.

"Yep – obviously, everyone orders their books from Andrew's bookstore rather than from Amazon, and he's placed 600 official pre-orders, and then he's ordered another 300 for the book signing so people can buy copies if they haven't already brought it."

"How many do you have to sell to be a bestseller?" She asked, and I laughed with a little eye-roll.

"5,000 copies sold in any one-week period, but they prefer 10,000," I said, "That one is a little unlikely this time around, but if the town enjoys this one and the word gets out, the next book could be a bestseller."

"Well, one day, I'll be able to say 'I knew bestselling author, Rory Gilmore, in diapers,'" She said teasingly.

"I think my mother would like to reserve that for herself," I told her.

"She's your mother; she had plenty of other embarrassing things to say about you. Let me have this," She pleaded.

"Hey, this isn't down to me. Ask my mom," I teased, "I've got to get on, but I'll see you soon."

* * *

I was just getting out of the car when my phone rang, "Hello?"

"You made my husband cry!" Mom accused and my eyebrows shot up.

"Really?"

"He called me up, blubbering like he did at yours and April's graduations, something about you, the book and a letter. He wasn't making much sense. What the hell did you write?" She asked.

"The truth," I said, "That he was there for me in ways that dad should have been and while I didn't always appreciate it and took it for granted, I do appreciate it now. I also said that he earned the right to an early copy of my book."

"I wanna read that letter," She muttered, "So you said nice things and he's just blubbering because he's proud?"

"I think so but ask him when he's calmed down," I said with a chuckle, "He really is a big softie at heart, isn't he?"

"When it comes to you and April, definitely," She said softly, "Where are you?"

"I'm about to head to Dad's office," I told her.

"He's going to be so proud of you," She said, "I'll let you go and I'm going to get back to your book. It's calling my name."

"Okay, Mom," I said with a chuckle and hung up.

I sighed and grabbed the gift bag out of the car, locking it and walking into the building in front of me. I took the elevator to the 4th floor and then walked up to the receptionist, "Is Christopher Hayden in his office?"

"Yes, it's the sixth one on the left," She told me even though I already knew that.

I walked down the corridor and knocked on his door, waiting for him to allow me entrance. When he did, I stepped in, "Hey, are you free for a minute?"

"I didn't know you were coming," He said, looking at me for a moment, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I said, "I actually brought you something that I think you'll really like."

He furrowed his brow and I handed him the bag. He opened it and his face practically split in two when he saw the book inside, "You got published? Why didn't you tell me?"

My heart sank, "Yeah, I did tell you. I even showed you an early mock-up when you visited a few months back, remember?"

He nodded, "Sorry, Ror, I've been so busy with work and Gigi, I completely forgot."

"It's fine," I lied. Although he had become more involved over the years, he had started losing interest again. I understood that Gigi came first since she was only 10, but I hated that he hadn't even remembered that his daughter was publishing a book, "It's signed and everything, I just thought you'd like a copy."

"Thanks, Rory."

* * *

I called Grandma to tell her I'd be on time for dinner, and once I was on the road, I burst into tears. While he was clearly happy, he hadn't remembered that I had written a book and he didn't say that he was proud of me. He probably was, but the lack of acknowledgement stung.

Since I had time, I drove to Mom's first, needing to freshen up my makeup. Mom didn't look up from her book as I walked through, and I noticed she hadn't moved since that morning. As expected, Luke wasn't there, which meant no one saw the state of my face.

Once I had washed my face and reapplied some basic make-up, hoping it would be enough, I walked through to the living room, which is when Mom finally looked up, "Is it time to go already?"

"Yeah," I nodded, "Can I stay here tonight? I'm too tired to drive back to New York and the day isn't even over yet."

"What's wrong? You've been crying," She asked as she got a proper look at me, and I shrugged.

"Dad being Dad; nothing new," I said with a sigh, knowing I should have been used to it by now, "I'm fine. Let's go."

* * *

After dinner, I handed them the two gift bags that I had made them wait for. Mom looked almost as excited as I felt and we watched as they opened the bags and pulled out the book within.

"We get an early copy?" Grandma questioned excitedly and I nodded.

"And it's signed. It's why I went to see dad today, to give him his copy," I explained, "I know you may have ordered one for yourself, but I thought you'd appreciate it."

"I love it," Grandpa declared, looking happier than he had since he got sick, "It's beautiful and I can't wait to read it."

"Thank you, Grandpa," I said, "Mom has been reading hers all day."

"I haven't!" She lied, and then sighed, "Okay, I have, but it's so good."

I knew both of them wanted to start reading it instantly, so I offered to leave so they could get on. Their eyes lit up and we somehow ended up on the way home early.

* * *

The next morning when I got up, Luke was cooking breakfast in the kitchen. He looked over his shoulder at me and smiled, "I'm really proud of you."

"You always are," I said, smiling back before grabbing a cup of coffee, "Have you had the chance to read any of it? I know it's probably not your type of book, but..."

"I've already read the first few chapters, and of course I'm going to read it because you wrote it and I've read everything that you've published so far," He said, turning back to the stove.

I chuckled, already feeling better. I didn't know whether Mom told him that Dad had upset me, but these days, Luke often ended up picking up those pieces, even accidentally. It was part of the reason that I knew I needed to give him an early copy, and he definitely deserved it more than Dad did, even if it wasn't Luke's type of book.

"Thank you," I said gratefully.

"Rory!" I heard my mom call as she rushed in, all excited, "Oh, you're up!"

"Yes..." I said slowly, "What's up?"

"I've finished it! And I swear that it's going to be a bestseller, I just know it!"

I laughed at her excitement as a warm feeling spread through my chest – I didn't need my father's approval when I had Mom and Luke's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, there's no Literati yet, but I wanted to add this in as I think the whole chapter is sweet (which is me trying to balance my brain after writing about kidnapping in an unpublished story). Also, for those who have read every one of my stories so far, is it obvious that I have daddy issues? I don't have a dad and Luke seems like he'd make a good dad, so I like making him a dad-like person for Rory, especially since I get creepy vibes from Christopher.
> 
> Anyway, please review.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a Tuesday afternoon when I got the phone call from Jess, "You wrote a book?"

"Yes, I did," I told him, smiling a little, "Have you read any of it yet?"

"The first three chapters – they're amazing. What are your plans for tonight?"

I frowned, "Why?"

He chuckled, "I'm coming to visit. I haven't been to New York in ages so I thought this was the perfect opportunity."

I smiled; I hadn't seen Jess since Mom and Luke's wedding last year and while we had spoken, it wasn't the same, "No plans tonight and I should be finished with work by 4."

"You don't have set hours?" He questioned and I shook my head even though he couldn't see me.

"We have an allotted amount of work to do but no set hours as we're salaried. I've also got a lighter schedule at the moment because of my book – they've been great with it," I admitted, "What were you thinking of for tonight, then?"

"Dinner, to celebrate," He said, "I'll pick you up at 6?"

I smiled, "Sounds good, but where are we going?"

"Is San Matteo Pizzeria still around? They do amazing pizzas," He asked.

"Yes," I said, "They're still here, and that sounds amazing. I've got to go; see you later."

I put the phone down and sighed happily, ignoring the little butterflies in my stomach.

* * *

I walked out of the main entrance to see Jess leaning against the lamppost. His hair was a mess and he was wearing his normal t-shirt and jeans. He smiled at me, his eyes raking over me, "You're beautiful."

"Thanks," I said with a laugh, "You look good, too. How have you been?"

"I've been good, I've got another book on the go and the company is doing well," He said, standing up properly and walking towards me, "How have you been? Other than the fact you have written a book and didn't bother to tell me."

"I wanted it to be a surprise – I had to swear Luke to secrecy, you know?" I told him, "I'm good. And I'm hungry, so can we walk and talk?"

He chuckled and we started walking in the right direction. I could feel his eyes on me, so I looked up at him, "What?"

"How is the dream job going?" He asked, despite the fact that it wasn't what he wanted to ask.

I shrugged, "I don't know... I love it, don't get me wrong, but it's not what I wanted after all."

"So, what do you want?" He asked curiously.

"I want to be closer to my family. My grandfather is quite sick so I want to enjoy what time I have left with him, but I also miss Mom and Stars Hollow. When I first came to New York, I thought that it would get easier as I got further in my career, but it's only got harder," I explained, "It would probably help if I could get a boyfriend, to take some of the loneliness away, but I'm just not happy with my life at the moment."

"How on earth are you single?" He questioned, but his eyes lit up in the way that made my heart flutter.

I knew why I was single; Jess had said years ago that we were meant to be together, and while I wasn't convinced about fate and that, and I knew that at the time we still had some growing to do, but I had fallen back in love with him when we reconnected a few years ago. But I wasn't going to tell him that – he had probably moved on and I didn't want to lose him.

"It's just the way it is," I told him instead of telling him the truth, "It's not too bad; the book would have probably taken longer to write if I'd had a boyfriend to deal with, too."

He laughed, "That is true. So, what are you going to do about the fact you're not happy?"

"I don't know," I told him, "I'm actually thinking about switching to being a columnist; it's better paid, more creative freedom, and although I'd have the same amount of work in general, there won't be emergencies to report on and I wouldn't be given topics with only 24 hours to write an article about. I'd have days. This would also allow me to work remotely as while I do have to submit my work in a certain format, there are actually hired people to ensure it works in the actual paper and I already send my work to the editors via email and they handle the rest. But I need to research this first."

He laughed, "You and your research."

"I'm a journalist, what do you expect?" I asked, but I was laughing with him.

"You've always been that way," He said softly, the laughter fading, "It's what makes you, you."

I nodded as we stepped into the restaurant, his hand slipping into mine.

* * *

"So," Jess started as we got back to the main entrance to my apartment, "You thanked me for being an asshole when we were kids, and you thanked me for sending you back to Yale. Now it's my turn to thank you."

"For what?" I asked curiously, unsure of where this was going.

"For saying no when I asked you to run away with me," He said, "I was asking you to abandon everything you cared about and even though I was telling you I had changed and that I was ready to be with you like that, I was wrong."

"I considered saying yes for a moment, but it felt wrong," I told him.

"I'm glad you didn't," He murmured, stepping closer to me, "But if I asked you to try again right now, would you say yes?"

I could feel my heart hammering in my chest, and I wet my suddenly dry lips with my tongue before responding, "Yes."

He smiled, lowering his face and kissing me softly, his hands on my waist. The kiss was brief, and when he pulled away, his eyes were bright, "Are you sure? Because this is-"

I cut him off with another brief kiss, "I'm sure."

"Good," He whispered, "I've wanted this for... forever."

"Me too," I said, and then laughed, "We're a pair of idiots. If one of us had just got the courage to say something, we could have had years together."

He laughed, "We really are. It doesn't matter now, though."

I pulled his lips to mine, and I almost smiled as our bodies melted together, fitting in the way that they always did. One of his hands remained on my waist but the other one travelled up to my neck as we kissed. I pulled away from his lips, "Stay with me tonight."

* * *

The next morning, I was woken up by the ringing of my mobile. I slid out from under Jess' arm and answered the phone as I left the room, "Hello?"

"Guess who just called," Came Mom's voice, and I cocked an eyebrow.

"Who?" I asked as I turned on the coffee machine, having been set up ahead of time.

"Logan."

I blinked, "As in, my ex-boyfriend?"

"Yep – he asked for your number since you had sent him a lovely letter and a copy of your book. Apparently, he kept hold of the home phone, but I have no idea why," She said, "Want to update me on your thought process for that?"

I sighed, "Not right this second – I haven't had coffee yet and I have a man in my bed. Probably not a good idea to discuss my ex-boyfriends right this second."

"I thought you were going through a dry patch?" She questioned with a gasp, "Have you been holding out on me?"

"No!" I said, "I've had a 5-year dry patch since me and Logan broke up, and this might be the end of it. And it's super new, like last night new. Give me a chance."

She laughed, "Who is he?"

"Back to Logan; did you give him my number?" I asked, unsure of what to even say.

"No, I didn't," She said, "I took down his number and said I'd pass it on to you."

"Thank you," I said gratefully as I poured my coffee, pausing to take a sip, "Let me grab a pen, and I'll call him from my office as I'll treat it as a work thing. I don't want him to get any ideas."

I grabbed a pen and took down the number, quickly ending the call afterwards. I walked back to the bedroom and found an awake Jess sat on the edge of my bed, "How long have you been up?"

"Just woke up," He said, "What are you doing today?"

"I need to call Andrew in Stars Hollow to double check a few things about the book signing on Saturday, and then I need to call Logan from the office to see what he wanted since he called my mother, and I can finish editing my article while I'm there as it should only take an hour," I explained, only mentioning Logan so he knew I was being honest, "What's your plan? And how long are you in New York for?"

"I'm here at least until we work out a plan," He said softly, "I want this to work this time."

I sat down next to him, clocking the time, "I want it to work, too. It's 8am now, I should be done by 2. I'll skip lunch and just have a snack, and we can have a late lunch while we make a plan."

He nodded, "Hey, why aren't you having a launch party – it really helps sales. And why aren't you busier?"

"I didn't really want to do a party, but we've got a few book signings and book displays going up in stores," I explained, "As for my schedule, I had a more rigorous one until recently, but I scheduled social media posts through apps and I just interact once they're up, and I have a planned blog tour, but I've already written all of my guest posts and answered the questions. My publisher recommended doing everything that can be scheduled for a later date earlier than necessary so I can be well-rested for in-person events like the book signings."

"Why didn't I think of that?" He wondered out loud and I laughed at him.

"Because you hate social media and things like this, so why would you know it was possible?" I told him, "I need to get in the shower so I can get on with my day; where are we meeting?"

"I can meet you at the office and we'll just go to a local café for lunch," He said, "New York Times, right?"

"I'll see you then."

* * *

After checking in with Andrew about the book signing, who seemed more excited than I was since he had never done a book signing there before, I sat down in my office and picked up the phone, planning to call Logan. I didn't want to do it, and I hoped that Mom told me the number wrong or that I had written it down wrong, but I dialled anyway, pushing away the sick feeling.

"Logan Huntzberger here," He greeted, and I smiled as an involuntary reaction.

"It's Rory," I said, "I heard that you wanted to talk to me."

"Ace..." I could hear the smile in his voice, "How've you been?"

"I'm fine, and you?" I asked, keeping with the polite small talk.

"I'm really good now," He said, "I knew about your book coming out as your grandparents saw my parents at an event and the usual bragging commenced, and my father then informed me."

"Typical," I said with a humourless chuckle, "She probably wants to rub it in your fathers face that I became a successful journalist and I'm now an author."

He laughed, but his was with genuine amusement, "I always knew you'd prove him wrong."

"Why did you call, Logan? Or, why did you call my mom to get my number, since we both know you can get my work number with a few taps on the keyboard?"

He sighed, "After getting your letter and book, I wanted to thank you for teaching me what it meant to be in a serious relationship, even though it didn't work out. And I didn't really want to do it at any events we may see each other at, and I also didn't want to give you the opportunity to avoid my calls. So, thank you."

"You're welcome," I said, and I genuinely meant it, "Is that all? I have work to do."

"Yeah, Ace; that's it," He said in a disappointed tone, "I hope you're happy."

"I hope you're happy, too," I told him, "Goodbye, Logan."

"Bye, Ace."

I put the phone down and sighed – I knew I was acting like I was mad at him, but I wasn't. I just knew that he'd suck me into that life again, and while I needed him while I was at college, I was also the worst version of myself with him. I could be grateful for the lessons he and his family taught me while knowing that he wasn't good for me or my future.

I then smiled, because while I had moved on, I never got closure. He ended the relationship because I wasn't ready for marriage and then that was it, so this was good. The letter helped, but I needed that phone call to have complete closure. I just hoped he felt the same way.

* * *

"Hey," I greeted Jess as I walked out of the elevator; he was flicking through the paper, but he looked up as he heard my face.

"Are you in this issue?" He asked.

"If that's today's issue, then no," I said, "I am only in the Thursday and Sunday editions at the moment and I've just finished writing Sunday's article."

He nodded, "So you always try and do things ahead of time?"

"You know what I'm like," I teased, "Overly prepared and hardworking. Normally, they wouldn't allow me to have my topics early as I'm a journalist, but because of my book, they've allocated me things that aren't necessarily time-sensitive so I can keep on top."

He smiled and put the paper back where he found it, "So where are we eating?"

"There's a café on the corner that's pretty great," I said, taking his hand and leading him out of the lobby.

* * *

Once we were settled in a corner and halfway through our lunch, I sighed, "How are we going to make this work?"

"It's a two-hour drive, so it's reasonable, and anyway, I've been thinking about leaving Truncheon Books and Philadelphia," He admitted, almost squirming in his seat.

"Why?" I asked, concerned that it might be because of me. I didn't say that, though, and took a bite of my sandwich instead.

"I have several successful books, I make enough to live on without the job, and I'd like to focus on writing alone," He explained, "I love Truncheon, I do, but I want to focus on my writing. And I can do that anywhere."

The last sentence felt like it was aimed at me, like he would move here, and I didn't want him to do it if he didn't want to – he had a life in Philadelphia and I wasn't going to ask him to give that up.

"I'm not going to ask you to move here, if that's what you expect," I started, "I want you to be happy and I want for you to do what would make you happy."

He took a sip of his drink, "Rory, you know me – I am quite happy wandering around the states. I don't need to stay there to be happy, and quite honestly, it was never home. Stars Hollow was more of a home than anywhere else has been, but I've never had a true home."

I sighed, "How do we know that we even want the same things? I want a marriage and kids; is that even something you want?"

"Yes," He said simply, "Even as a teenager, I knew it would take someone special to make me want to settle down, and I kind of wanted it with you when we were first together. Not right that minute, but you were it. And no matter how many women I dated through the years; it was always you. I want a life with you, Rory; a house, marriage and kids, and even though it's still very early days, I know that I want you, and I will do anything to prove it to you."

"Jess..." I paused, taking a mouthful of coffee, "I don't want you to uproot your entire life just for me, especially since I don't know if I'm even staying here. It would be nice for you to be nearby so we could see each other more, but I want you to do it because it'll make you happy, regardless of what happens with me and you."

"Writing my books make me happy, I want to do that more, and like I said; I can do that anywhere," He said with a smile, "If it doesn't pan out, I'll either stay in the same city or I'll move to somewhere new, but I'll work it out. I always do."

"Well, there's a good chance of me moving to Hartford before Thanksgiving if I can make it work," I said, smiling back at him, "We should have a plan of what we're doing by then."

He rolled his eyes as he chuckled, and I sat back in my seat, happy with how this had gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, none of this is realistic, but I don't care. I needed to write syrupy sweet stuff, and this is it for me. Anyway, I hope it was good, please review.


	4. Chapter 4

A week after my book release (and after signing my name more times than I could count), I joined Mom in Stars Hollow for the afternoon. I was officially off work (for the paper) for the next two weeks and I needed a break from the book stuff.

"Are you ever going to tell me about this new man of yours?" Mom asked as I sat down with my coffee, and I rolled my eyes.

"I've just spent 90 minutes driving, let me have my coffee before we start the interrogation," I told her teasingly. Me and Jess had agreed that it would be best to tell Mom and Luke sooner rather than later, and then we decided that it was probably better coming from me, which was my idea. I wanted to start with Mom as I knew she would help me tell the overly-protective Luke, but not without airing her own opinions first.

"Is that a no?" She questioned, and I rolled my eyes, draining the liquid from the cup.

"I'm thinking about moving to Hartford," I said instead, knowing it would distract and please her. I knew she had never been happy about the distance and mentioned moving back quite often, but I also knew that she'd rather I was happy in New York than unhappy in Stars Hollow.

She frowned, "I thought you were happy in New York."

I shook my head, "I was happy, and then I started writing this book in my free time, and I just started getting unhappier in my job and in New York, specifically. I'm thinking about becoming a columnist instead, which would be opinion-based pieces with facts to support it, which gives me some creative freedom. I'm also thinking about doing it in a way that I only have to go to New York occasionally, like for meetings, so I can be closer to family. I come here to write in peace regularly anyway, so it wouldn't change much in that respect."

"Why didn't you tell me you were feeling that way?" She asked, "I could have... Actually, I don't know how I would help you, but you shouldn't have been dealing with this alone."

"I planned to deal with it after the book release, and since it's been out for two weeks and events are starting to slow down, I've now made a sort-of plan, but I'm still investigating options," I explained.

"And the guy you're seeing?" She asked, desperate to know.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" I asked, and she shook her head. I sighed, "You already know him. He's sweet and kind, and smart, and he's a completely different person to the way he was as a teenager, which you already know because you commented on it a few years back, and..."

"You're dating Jess?" She questioned loudly, and I was grateful that I had met her at home rather than anywhere else, "As in, Jess Mariano, the teenage rebel? The boy who asked you to ditch Yale and run away with him, but sent you back when you dropped out two years later?"

"Yep," I said, popping the p, "That's where I thought we'd start... It's only been a few weeks, but we've already made a plan to make it work, and he really is a different guy now."

She made a few attempts at words and then stood up, refilling her mug. And then she sighed, "I know this, but when you said that it was Jess, all of those old thoughts came rushing back, and I panicked. I just... you're not the same girl, either. Does he know that? Or is he dating this image of you from back then?"

"We've been good friends for a few years, you know this," I reminded her, "He knows who I am. If we had reconnected out of nowhere, I would be concerned too, but we've been friends for long enough for both of us to know we aren't the same people – it's why I fell back in love with him because he has really changed into a good guy."

"Hold on," She said, "Isn't he living in Philadelphia or somewhere else that begins with a P?"

"At the moment," I paused, "Jess is leaving his business because he's a successful enough writer that he can, and he can write books anywhere. He knows that I'm considering moving, too, so neither of us know where we will be in 6 months, but we both want to settle down, and I definitely want to settle near family. We have the same goal in mind, but for now, it's sort-of long-distance, although, to be fair, it's only an hour and a half away, and I do that regularly to see you."

She finished the coffee in her mug before responding, "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes," I said.

"Then I will support you," She told me with a smile, "It just might take a while for me to fully come around since all I can think of right now is the way he treated you when you were younger."

I laughed, "I'll give you that. How am I going to tell Luke?"

She half-snorted, half-laughed, "I'll help you with him, but I will not help with the grandparents. That's all you, baby."

"Deal."

* * *

"Who's Max Medina?" Jess asked as I answered my phone, not even letting me say hello.

I laughed, "Are you reading my mail?"

"No, I spotted the name in the corner with the return address and it feels like it should be familiar so I thought I'd ask," He said. He had been staying at my place so he didn't need to pay for a hotel while looking at apartments for himself, and he had clearly spotted the letter I had put on the counter before leaving for Stars Hollow.

I clicked my tongue a few times, looking at Mom. She and Sookie were engrossed in a conversation, but I didn't need her overhearing this.

"Give me a minute," I said to Jess, and then lowered my phone, turning to the women, "I'm gonna go and see Andrew – check in on my book sales."

"Let me know if you're a bestseller," Mom said, and I chuckled, agreeing.

I stepped out of the house, and once the door was shut, I put the phone back to my ear, "Okay, so Max Medina is my ex-teacher and my mother's ex-fiancé. I had to leave the house before explaining that because I didn't want to field those questions just yet."

Jess was silent for a moment, "I'm confused. I don't remember this."

I laughed, "It ended just before you came to Stars Hollow, and you know what the gossip mill is like so you may have heard his name in passing as they were still talking about it. Anyway, Max was my English teacher, and he was my favourite teacher, even before he started dating Mom, and he really helped me, so I thought he deserved to know that I was now a published author."

"A bit like me showing you that I had published a book," He said, "I get it, I was just curious because the name rang a bell. And have you told them about us yet?"

I chuckled, "I've told Mom, but we decided to wait until Luke gets home from work before telling him since we're not sure how he'll react. But she seems happy for me."

"Good," He said, and I could hear his smile in his voice, "I know how much her opinion means to you."

"I'm glad you know that," I said softly, checking the time, "Luke will be finished at the diner soon, and I still need to check-in at the bookstore."

"You can check your sales online, remember?" He teased.

"But it's so much better hearing the words," I explained, "And anyway, it doesn't give me a breakdown and I'd like to know how many of my sales come from Stars Hollow."

I knew he had rolled his eyes at me, but I ignored that, "I'll text you when I'm on the way home, okay?"

"Okay," He said before hanging up, barely saying goodbye. I smiled and shook my head before walking into the bookstore.

* * *

"Guess how many copies of my book Andrew has sold this week," I called out as I walked inside the house.

"One thousand," Mom shouted out.

"I'd say three thousand," Luke said in response, making me laugh.

I walked into the kitchen, sitting down at the table, "Higher."

Luke went to guess again, but Mom stopped him, her eyebrows rising, "Are you telling me that..."

"In Star Hollow alone, over six thousand copies of my book have been sold," I explained with a smile, Mom's eyes practically lighting up while Luke just looked completely confused, "And this doesn't even include sales from places like Walmart, Barnes & Noble, Amazon. With those combined, I could end up on a bestsellers list."

"How many books do you need to sell to be on a bestseller list?" Luke asked, his eyes wide.

"For the New York Times, I'd need closer to 10 thousand in any given week because I'm a newcomer, but for the Wall Street Journal, you need about five thousand. Either way, I could become a bestseller, which would be incredible. It's the dream..." I told them, running a hand through my hair, "I didn't consider it being a possibility because even though I'm a journalist with a social media following and basically this whole town would buy that book because I wrote it, it's my first book and that makes it so much harder."

"When will you know if you made it?" Mom asked.

"My publisher updates me with milestones and achieved goals, so I'll hear from her," I said, "I'll tell you when I know."

"We'll be proud either way – that's a lot of book sales," Luke said, "Wait, why are you here? It's Thursday."

"So, two things – I'm thinking of moving to Hartford so I'm closer to the family, and I'm dating Jess."

He kind of tilted his head at me, "My nephew, Jess?"

"Yeah," I nodded, nervous of where he was going to go with this.

"Really?"

"I feel like that's an insult to one of us but I'll let that go," I teased, not even surprised by that particular response.

He blushed, "No, that's not how I meant that. I just meant the you've already tried it before and it didn't work."

"So? You and Mom made it work the third time, Grandma and Grandpa made it work the second time, should I go on?" I pointed out, "Also, we were 18, and the brain doesn't finish developing until 25 so that means we were still kids. We grew up, we're very different people now."

He smiled, "You're right, I'm sorry. Hold on, he lives in Philadelphia, how are you going to make it work, especially if you're moving closer to us? It's a three-hour drive."

"He's quitting his own job since he wants to focus on writing his books, and he is moving to New York. I should be moving back in about six months, and we should know how things are going by that point," I explained, "If it's going well, he'll move with me."

"You really have thought this out," Mom said with a laugh, "Was that all you or did he have a say?"

"Oi!" I said teasingly, "We sat down and talked it through, both of us. Neither of us are happy with our lives at present, so we're changing them. He really is a different person now, which I did already know because we've been friends for a few years, but he's just constantly proving to me that he has really changed for the better."

"Well, I'll kill him if he hurts you," Luke muttered and I laughed.

"No, you won't," I said softly, "He's your nephew. I wouldn't put it past you to kill anyone else, but he's your nephew."

"You're right," He said with a roll of his eyes, "Does Liz know?"

"He called her earlier as I was getting ready to leave, and he couldn't get a word in edgeways, so no. But he did try," I explained.

"Once she met you, she decided that you and Jess would one day get back together. I hate that she's right," Luke said, and while his tone sounded irritated, a small smile was playing on his lips, "But I hope it works out."

 _Me too_ , I thought.

* * *

"I come bearing food," I announced as I walked into the apartment. He was sat at my desk, writing notes in what looked like the margins of my book – I just hoped it was his own copy.

"Your publisher called," He said, finishing whatever he was writing, "She wouldn't let me take a message, other that insisting that I make you call her as soon as possible. She sounds insane."

"I'll tell her you said that," I said with a wink. I wouldn't really, but I liked to tease the man, "Can you dish up food while I do that."

He nodded, closing the book (my guess was right; it was my book), and walking towards me. He kissed me softly and then took the bag from me, disappearing into the kitchen. I picked up the landline and dialled my publisher's number, "Rory here, my boyfriend said you called earlier?"

"Rory, glad you called. Are you sitting down?" She asked, and I furrowed my brow, sitting down on the arm of the chair.

"This sounds bad," I said, "I'm sitting down."

"As you know, all bestseller lists are always delayed by 7 days, so you won't see this in the paper until Sunday after next, but you are already a New York Times bestseller. You're a little low on the list, but you're going to be on the list."

My mind went back but I almost forgot how to speak. I swallowed, "What happens now?"

"Nothing until the list comes out, but we'll make a plan later. For now, celebrate."

"Thanks, Rose," I said and hung up.

Jess walked in with the plates at that moment, "What was that about?"

"I just made the New York Times bestseller list." 


	5. Chapter 5

"Do you feel different?" Mom asked, peering over my shoulder. We had met at Luke's, armed with two copies of the paper – one for me, and one for them. Luke and Jess were catching up behind the counter while me and Mom admired the list.

"Damn right, my name is on the New York Times bestseller list," I said excitedly, my eyes fixed to the paper. While my publisher had told me ahead of time, it was suddenly very real.

"I'm going to find a way to frame it," She said, "I'm going to get a photograph of your book cover, cut out that little part of the paper, and frame them together."

"Don't get too eager," I warned, "It could go up on the list, you know."

She nodded, "Yes – we need to get it at it's highest number. I'll just save every paper until it starts going down."

"Are you encouraging her hoarder tendencies?" Luke asked, and I laughed despite Mom's immediate protests.

"I don't live with her anymore, not my problem," I told him, "Okay, it wasn't intentional but you know what she's like."

"And 'she' is right here!" She complained, making Luke roll his eyes.

"What are you planning on doing for your next book?" Luke asked me instead of responding to Mom.

"I don't know," I admitted, "Jess suggested writing about me and Mom's story, said that it could be really cool. But I don't know, do I really want to put all of that out there? And it's not just my story, it's Mom's too, and it's not really my place."

"You could also do a collection of short stories inspired by you and your mom, even dropping in stories about the town, and just making it appear fictional," Jess said, sitting down next to me, "You could even create a whole 'small town' universe and brand-new characters that are based off the real ones, and use your real memories and stories to inspire a whole novel. There are so many options in which you can use your own story without outsiders knowing it's yours."

"Yeah, but..." I paused, "These are real people. If they read the book, they would know. And it seems wrong to use other people's lives for entertainment, especially without their permission. Could you imagine Taylor? And you know he'd find a way to get me into trouble or to get money from me."

"He's a manipulative bastard," Jess muttered, and I smiled at him.

"Yeah, but he's fun to watch when you're not involved in whatever he's up to," Mom said before turning to me, "I'd let you write that book about us, even if it's presented as a story, but I would want to be able to read it and take out things I'm not comfortable with. And maybe we should try and leave your grandparents out of it."

"I'll try," I told her, "Right now, I need to sort my life out first – changing career paths, moving to another state, and writing a book would be a bit much."

"Will they even allow you to work for the Times while in a completely different state?" Mom suddenly asked.

"Sort of; for your standard journalists, no, they wouldn't allow it, but one of their columnists actually lives in Vermont, so if I transfer and then move, it should be fine," I explained, "I just hope I get the job. I've applied as they have an open spot that's coming up – one of the columnists are going to leave in about 2 months to live in another country, so they need a replacement. It'll be an interview, then I have to write four pieces and get three approved, and then I just need to be the better writer if someone else gets past that."

"You're a great writer, you'll be fine," Jess said as my phone rang. Luke pointed to the door, so I got up and left, rolling my eyes.

"Hello?" I said, not bothering to check who was calling.

"Have you seen it yet?" Grandma asked, "We're so proud of you."

"Thanks, Grandma," I said, "How's Grandpa today?"

She had cancelled Friday night dinner because he was feeling really unwell, so I wanted to check while I had her on the phone.

"You know he has good days and bad days," She said, like the bad days weren't becoming more frequent, "He's fine now."

"I just wanted to check," I told her, realising that someone hadn't called, "I need to go."

I hung up and tapped my foot, unsure of whether to call him. It was Sunday so he wasn't working, and I knew he got the New York Times. I then dialled.

"Hey Dad," I said softly when he picked up, "Have you seen the Times today?"

"Uh," He paused, "Yeah, that was a killer article you did on... Turkey and Syria."

"My article was the one below that, and I'm not even talking about that. It's Sunday, and if you remember that conversation that we had two days ago, I'm on the bestsellers list. But you know, since you can't be bothered to even remember that your daughter is now a bestselling author, I'm not surprised that you lied about reading my article and just picking the first thing you thought of."

"Come on, Rory," He said almost condescendingly, "You know I'm proud of you."

"I didn't even mention being proud, I mentioned you not being able to at least act like you're interested in your eldest daughter," I then sighed as it dawned on me – he was treating me like Grandma and Grandpa treated Mom, like they didn't even care unless it would benefit them. I found it a little ironic, actually, how my father treated my little sister like my grandparents treated me, and that I was his version of Mom, in a non-gross way.

I wasn't really listening to his defences, but I swallowed a sob before speaking, "You know, I thought you had grown out of this by the time I hit college, or maybe graduation, but you seem to have gone backwards in your treatment of me, and I won't stand for it anymore. I'm done – I'm done with having to put in almost all of the effort, I'm done with trying to please you, and I'm done with being your daughter. I just hope you don't do this to Gigi, because she doesn't deserve this, either."

I hung up the phone and started full-on sobbing, my heart breaking.

He had walked all over me for years, doing whatever he pleased in order to either impress Mom, my grandparents or whatever girl he was with at the time (because playing devoted dad when I got into that car crash was definitely more about Mom and the debutante ball was all about impressing Grandma), but I could count on one hand the number of times he did something for me, that was only for me. And asking him to look at his daughter's name in a paper he already buys and saying that he was proud of me shouldn't be a tall order.

So, I was done.

* * *

When we got home, I walked straight to the kitchen, grabbing a snack out of the fridge. I had sort of explained what happened but I didn't really want to talk.

I walked over to the counter, spotting the letter that Max had written. I hadn't read it yet due to a lack of time, but I had time now and I decided to read it, curious as to what he had written.

_Rory,_

_Thank you for your book and your letter. If I'm being honest, I've kept an eye on you over the years; I always knew you were going to do fantastic things and I love seeing my students do well, even the ones I haven't taught in over 10 years, and especially the ones that almost became my stepdaughter._

_I hope that your book does well and that you continue to do great things, and most of all, I hope that you're happy with your life. If you're happy, that's all that really matters._

_Sincerely,_   
_Max Medina._

I put the letter down and wiped my wet cheeks. It wasn't that the letter was particularly tear-jerking, but the fact that my ex-teacher (or my mom's ex-fiancé, depending on how you wanted to look at it) cared more and was prouder of me than my dad was got the tears going, but I also laughed because it was pretty ironic.

"What's funny?" Jess asked, walking into the room, "Wait, you haven't even taken your coat off before doing something else?"

I shook my head, "It's just funny that my dad cares less than my ex-teacher does."

"Are you okay?" He asked, and I shook my head.

"No, but I will be."

* * *

Jess went back home a week later to hand in his notice and get packed up, leaving me alone. That afternoon, someone knocked on my door, and I was a little shocked to find Dean on the other side, "Hey."

"What are you doing here?" I asked, confused.

He smiled, "I just wanted to talk to you in person."

"About?" I questioned, still confused. What couldn't he have said over the phone or in a letter?

"I wanted to thank you, too," He said, "You... So, I know that affair ruined my marriage and it's not a thing to be happy about, but if you had stopped me that night or had never written that stupid letter, I probably would have stayed in an unhappy marriage because it was easier and safer, but it wasn't right. I know I took my anger out on you a lot, but I just wanted you to know that I was grateful that you helped to end my marriage to Lindsay."

"I don't even know what to say to that," I admitted and he chuckled.

"After we broke up, I actually dropped my job with Tom and went back to college. I got my degree and now I work as a proper engineer. I was in New York to pick up a piece and I thought I'd thank you in person," He explained, "I'm also married and I have twins on the way, and I probably wouldn't have that without you, either. You said that you hoped I was happy... I am. Truly."

"I'm glad," I said, "Thank you."

He left and I shut the door, a small smile on my face. I had never fully gotten over that guilt because even though I was in love with him, the guilt was there in the back of my head, and now? It was gone. I hated that things happened the way they did, but if he could be happy about what happened, then I could too.

* * *

The next day, I had my interview. It seemed to go great and by the end of the day, I was assigned my first trial article to write with a week to do it, which was easy. Once I had caught up on all the work that had built up, I started on it, working hard to prove myself. I was an established journalist but I hadn't written an op-ed since Yale and I needed to prove myself.

Once I felt like I had reached my limit, I headed home for the night, eating take-out and writing out ideas for my next book while also planning my social media posts. When my phone rang while I was using it, I was almost startled and relaxed when I saw the name, "Hey Paris, been a while."

"Congrats on the book, blah blah blah, I need help," She said and I laughed, not expecting anything less.

"What with?" I asked.

"I'm pregnant," She said, "What do I do?"

"You're a resident, shouldn't you know this?" I asked, confused.

"That's not what I meant," She said, "I know I need to take my vitamins and go to the doctor, but I don't know whether to keep it – I'm not exactly the most maternal person, am I?"

"I can't tell you what to do," I said softly, "This is between you and Doyle, so talk to him. But no matter what you do, I'll support you."

"I know that, too," She snapped, "You're no help. Bye."

I laughed in response to the way she hung up, shaking my head. It didn't surprise me that she had barely cared about the book, and her attitude amused me more than ever, partially because we no longer lived in each other's pockets.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the last chapter. It actually starts a year after the last one, but it actually spans over 2 years, which is funny since it's also my shortest chapter (and the only one not over 2000 words, which is disappointing. Anyway, please enjoy the last chapter.

_Epilogue – One Year Later_

"I'm out of post-it notes, do you have any?" I called to Jess; he was in the kitchen and I didn't want to get distracted by whatever he was doing.

"Top drawer of my desk," He called back. I nodded, and walked over to his desk, opening the drawer. I grabbed the brightly coloured notes and went to shut it, pausing as I spotted the little jewellery box in the corner.

I rolled my eyes – he kept moving the damn thing around the house, trying to keep it hidden from me. I had found it in one of the boxes when we moved in and opened it to find an engagement ring. I didn't tell him I had found it, and now it kept popping up all over the house because he knew what I was like. I shut the draw and returned to my own desk, starting to jot down a note as he rushed in, a panicked look on his face.

"What's wrong?" I asked and he sighed.

"Nothing, just checking on you," He lied. He then walked over to his desk, took something (probably the ring) out of his top drawer and left the room without a word. I rolled my eyes again, tempted to guess where he'd hide it next, and then got on with my work.

* * *

"I'm a writer," Jess told me two nights later at dinner; he had spent half the afternoon cooking for me and had made it all romantic, "I'm a writer, but I can't figure out what to say to you."

I had an idea of where this was going, but I decided to pretend I didn't, "I think you need to be a bit more specific."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring box, "I've had this ring for six months, but because I had no idea of what to say to you, I haven't used it."

"Right..." I said carefully, unsure of how to respond. Actually, I wanted to say yes, but I also wanted to hear what he was going to say.

"I have loved you since we were kids," He admitted, "I never stopped loving you, and even though my feelings for you changed as we grew up, they were always there, even when I was dating other people to try and get over you. You were my first love, and I want, more than anything, for you to be my last. We are meant to be, so, Rory Gilmore, will you –"

I cut him off, "Yes, I'll marry you."

He chuckled, "You didn't even let me finish."

"I didn't need to," I said softly, "I love you. Of course, I'll marry you."

We both stood up and he kissed me deeply for a moment, "I love you, too."

* * *

Our wedding day was finally here, a little over a year since he had proposed. We had originally arranged for the wedding to happen months ago, but unfortunately, Grandpa had died and we postponed since it felt like it was rude to have a celebration so soon after his death. While neither Mom or Grandma had expressed it, I got the impression that they were both grateful for it.

I looked at myself one last time in the mirror before joining Mom, ready to go. She was giving me away; I had decided that straight away and I was glad that she hadn't fought me on it. She smiled at me, "Are you ready?"

"Definitely."

The music started and the doors were opened. We slowly around the start of the aisle and when I caught sight of Jess, I beamed. He looked incredible and also like he was close to tears. As we walked down the length of the aisle, he mouthed a few words to me, "You good?"

I nodded slightly with a smile – I had spent half the morning throwing up and I had no doubt that it had gotten back to him. I had told everyone that it was nerves, but we both knew differently. When we got to the end of the aisle, Lane took my bouquet, and Mom placed my hand in his before kissing my cheek and taking her seat.

The minister started speaking, but I was barely paying any attention to what he was saying.

* * *

I rushed outside, desperate for fresh air. I had been fine for a while, but the smell of alcohol had gotten too much and I felt quite sick from it. I sat down on a bench and hoped that the nausea would subside quickly.

"Hey kid," Mom greeted as she joined me on the bench, "Aren't you supposed to be inside?"

I nodded, "I felt like I was going to be sick, needed some air."

"You've just got married; shouldn't you be enjoying yourself?" She asked, concern seeping into her tone.

"I'm happy, I'm just..." I paused as a wave of nausea came over me, my hand raising to my lips. I swallowed thickly, hoping that I wouldn't be sick. Mom rubbed my back gently, and when it passed, I sighed, "I'm okay."

"You're not okay," She said, "You were sick this morning and you're still feeling unwell. We should have postponed."

"You know as well as I do that we couldn't postpone again, and anyway, if we waited until I felt better, I don't think the dress would have fitted – it was already a little tight today," I explained jokingly, hoping she would pick up on what I was saying. When she gave me a very confused look, I laughed at her, "You're getting slow in your old age."

"Oi!" She complained, "I'm only 46."

"Then you should get it," I teased, and then paused, "I'm pregnant."

Her jaw dropped and her eyes lit up, "How long have you known?"

I turned around and looked through the window, searching out a clock. When I saw it, I smiled, "About a week, saw a doctor two days ago; I'm 8 weeks."

Mom nodded, "Are you happy about this?"

"It's sooner than we planned, but yes. We were talking about trying for kids in about six months after our books had launched and things were stable, but birth control fails sometimes," I smiled, "Please don't tell Luke. I know you don't keep secrets from him, but Jess really wants to tell him."

She smiled, "He was more of a parent to both you and Jess than either of your fathers ever were. It makes sense. Speaking of your father, he snuck in earlier but left pretty quickly. Did you invite him?"

I nodded, "I offered him an olive branch. Never heard back. Actually, I've offered him several since Gigi is still my sister. But I guess I was the trial run for him and she's the real thing."

Mom was about to respond when Grandma approached us, "People are starting to notice your absence."

"You okay?" I asked her; she was looking thinner every day and I was starting to wonder if she needed to see a doctor. I understood that her husband had died, but something wasn't right.

"I'm fine," She said, brushing it off, "Come on."

* * *

"Meet Emily Lorelai Mariano-Gilmore," I introduced, barely looking up from the baby in my arms. She was perfect.

When I did look up, I saw that tears were streaming down Mom's face; Grandma had died of a heart attack three months prior. She shouldn't have died, but apparently, a heart attack on top of her grief was too much. My grandmother wasn't perfect, but she always had the best intentions, even if they were misguided, so I wanted to honour her – we already had two Lorelai's in a row, so I thought we'd give that name a break, and Jess had said that we could name the next one after his mom if I wanted.

"It's perfect," Mom said softly, "She's perfect, just like you were."

Emily yawned, and I smiled, "Yeah, she is."

* * *

When we came home from the hospital, I was tempted to climb back into bed, but I was drawn to the parcel on the side. Jess was giving Emily a little tour even though he didn't need to, and we needed to get into a routine anyway so instead of giving into my urges, I unwrapped the parcel. It was my book, 'Gilmore Girls', the first copy with the actual cover on it. I had eventually decided to write it out, and I was so glad that I did. I opened the book to the dedication page and smiled at the words on the page.

_To my late grandparents, Richard and Emily Gilmore;_   
_I hope you're proud of me._

Tears streamed down my face and I quickly shut the book, not wanting to ruin it. I looked up at Jess, who was bonding with our baby girl, and I sighed; who knew that a letter could get me a husband and a baby.

**The End.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love typing 'the end' at the end - even if I write the whole of the last chapter prior to finishing the rest, I won't actually type 'the end' until I'm finished so I get the satisfaction. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this cheesy, bad quality fic - I'm off to start the next one. And as always, please review.


End file.
